Electrical cable connector

ABSTRACT

An electrical cable connector is disclosed which in one portion receives a stripped cable end in a barrel-shaped receiving element. The body portion of the cable connector has a pair of opposed jaws which, when squeezed together by means of a bolt or similar construction, simultaneously locks the cable in position while the jaws secure the member to a terminal or other cable. Embodiments are shown in which a thin wall section tangentially overlaps the intended position of the terminal or other cable, and where the cable passes through a tangentially opening recess to provide for contact with the two electrical elements.

Unite States Patet Shannon et a1.

[ 1 Sept. 26, 1972 [S4] ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTOR [73] Assignee: Quick-Cable Corporation, Racine,

Wis.

[22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 117,318

[52] US. Cl. ..339/230 R [51] Int. Cl. ..H01r 11/26 [58] Field of Search ..339/224240 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,061,291 11/1936 Robinson ..339/225 2,215,416 9/1940 Wolcott ..339/227 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 482,060 9/1929 Germany ..339/229 France ..339/225 Great Britain ..339/225 Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney-Dominik, Knechtel & Godula 5 7] ABSTRACT An electrical cable connector is disclosed which in one portion receives a stripped cable end in a barrelshaped receiving element. The body portion of the cable connector has a pair of opposed jaws which, when squeezed together by means of a bolt or similar construction, simultaneously locks the cable in position while the jaws secure the member to a terminal or other cable. Embodiments are shown in which a thin wall section tangentially overlaps the intended position of the terminal or other cable, and where the cable passes through a tangentially opening recess to provide for contact with the two electrical elements.

2 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PATENTED E 9 3.694.799

sum 1 0F 2 FIG. 1

FIG.

F. g nl INVENTORS John K. Shannon John K. Shannomdz ATTYS.

PATENTEU in? 3.694.799

SHEET 2 0F 2 FIG. 7

v FIG. 8 40 FIG. 9 50 5/ FIG 10 v H 22 lllllllll FIG. 1 1

FIG. 12 2/ 60 6/ 63 40 "my/III!!! 2, m g

IN VE N TORS John K. Shun non John K Shannon Jr ATTYS.

ELECTRICAL CABLE CONNECTOR DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION Battery connectors of the character cast out of lead and similar materials and secured to a battery terminal post by means of a pair of opposed jaws and a bolt are well known. Additionally, replacement cable connec' tors of the character shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,409,865, 3,396,362 and 3,397,382 are also known in the art and achieve good electrical connections because the cable is secured to the connector by positive secondary means separate and apart from the means for securing the connector to the terminal. While all such units work well, both electrically and physically, and resist contamination, they are inherently more expensive than the original equipment in which the end of the cable is precast into a terminal connector having a single thrubolt.

In view of the foregoing, it is a prime object of the present invention to provide an electrical cable connector in which a single clamping means biased across the jaws serves to secure the connector to an electrical element, and at the same time secure a replacement cable within the connector.

A further object of the present invention looks to a construction which is susceptible to molding out of plastic and yet accomplishing the connection between the cable and a terminal electrical member.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical cable connector in which positive contact both physically and electrically is provided between the two electrical elements in a lead or plastic configuration.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical cable connector in which a thin wall section is provided to separate a cable end from the second terminal to thereby, in those circumstances where desirable, reduce corrosion which is attendant to a direct connection between the cable and the second terminal.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical cable connector which can be inexpensively fabricated from a single piece of material, and a single clamping means such as a tie-bolt employed to activate both the cable securing functions and the securement to the terminal.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION The present invention of an electrical cable connector relates to the attaching of a cable which is normally insulated on its periphery, the insulation stripped from the end, and then secured to a terminal such as a battery post or to another electrical element such as a cable. In particular, the electrical cable connector illustrative of the invention uses a single securing means to attach the cable to the connector, and also attach the connector to a terminal by a tangential jamming action.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings of all embodiments in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view illustrating the various elements of the cable connector including the cable, cable connector body, and a nut and bolt for securing the same.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the cable connector shown in FIG. 1 with the nut and bolt assembled.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal transverse view taken along Section Line 3--3 of FIG. 2 of the electrical cable connector.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the electrical cable connector in enlarged scale taken along section line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view comparable to that shown in FIG. 3 but illustrating the electrical cable connector in electrical and physically connected relationship with a battery terminal post.

FIG. 6 is a partially broken view illustrating the electrical cable connector secured to a battery post.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view comparable to FIG. 3 but showing a first alternative embodiment in which a direct connection is achieved between the cable and the second electrical element.

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along section line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a further sectional view taken along the same elevation as FIG. 8 of a second alternative embodiment illustrating a barrel sleeve on the cable end.

FIG. 10 is a front elevation of the barrel sleeve employed in the second alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a third alternative embodiment illustrating two cables as well as a battery terminal connection being secured at one point by a cable connector illustrative of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a view comparable to that shown in FIG. 7, but illustrating how a second cable having its end stripped can be electrically connected to a first cable by the cable connector illustrative of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a transverse sectional view taken along section line 13-13 of FIG. 12 illustrating the connection between the two electrical elements.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in exploded form in FIG. 1 where it will be seen that the cable connector 10 receives the cable 18 when its stripped end 19 is inserted into a barrel bore 16 of the barrel housing 15. The barrel housing 15 is cast into the side portion of the body 11 in such a fashion that a thin wall section 20 is provided in the clamp portion 14 of the body 11. The opposed jaws 12 are provided with jaw bores 25 which receive the bolt 21 and nut 22. Upon activating the nut and bolt, the jaws 12 are brought closer together, and the clamp 11 secures itself to a second electrical elements such as the battery terminal illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. As the clamping action accelerates, the two-fold effect of the thin wall section 20 becomes apparent as the stripped end 19 of the cable 18 is deformingly engaged and crimped in place, and at the same time the deformation further securely attaches the clamp 14 and the body 11 of the cable connector 10 to the terminal 30. In FIG. 3 is illustrated the relationship between the cable 18 and its stripped end 19 and the thin wall section 20 prior to FIRST ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT Shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is a first alternative embodiment in which the thin wall section 20 of the cable connector 10 shown as the preferred embodiment is omitted, and the stripped end 19 of the cable 18 is inserted in place as illustrated in FIG. 8. Thereafter the connection is a direct one between the stripped end 19 of the cable 18 and the battery terminal 30 or other electrical element (such as shown in FIG. 12). Turning briefly to FIGS. 12 and 13 it will be seen that where a second stripped cable 48 has its stripped end 49 inserted into the open sided embodiment electrical connector 40 the connection in fact is between two cables at substantially right angles to each other, thus illustrating the versatility of the cable connector of the present invention and the fact that it is not specifically limited to usage in a battery terminal type application.

SECOND ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT Illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 is but another alternative embodiment which, in this instance, is shown with the barrel liner 51 in the barrel liner embodiment 50. Otherwise, the body 11 is formed in the same manner as the open sided embodiment 40 illustrated in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8. The barrel liner 51 serves to provide positive electrical connection between the cable end and the second electrical element and, because the cable does not directly contact the member being clamped, the corrosive reducing desirable characteristics which are present with the thin wall of the first embodiment cable connector 10 are preserved. Nonetheless, a plastic body 11 can be provided, or alternatively the body 11 as shown with the barrel liner 51 in FIGS. 9 and 10 may also be cast of lead or other conventional metals.

THIRD ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT Shown in FIG. 11 is yet a third alternative embodiment showing a double cable embodiment 60 in which a first barrel 61 and a second barrel 62 are cast on the body portion 11 and a first cable 63 and second cable 64 are inserted into the respective barrels. Thereafter when a terminal 65 is secured by means of the bolt 21 and the nut 22, two cable leads to the same terminal or electrical element may be provided simultaneously. Such a connection can be highly desirable in hooking up a pair of batteries in parallel electrical relationship or in other operations where heavy leads to two different electrical elements are found desirable in the installation.

In review it will be seen that several embodiments of a cable connector have been shown. The preferred version totally encloses the stripped cable in lead and provides a thin wall section to receive the stripped cable. In all embodiments, the bolt which serves to clamp the body to the second electrical element simultaneously serves to accomplish the closing of the barrel to the end that the stripped end of the cable is securely positioned. Electrical contact is made between the cable and the clamp on all sides of the stripped cable where the body is cast of metal, or where the barrel insert embodiment is used with a dielectric main body such as plastic. One alternative embodiment, of course, eliminates the thin wall section and the barrel and provides for direct contact between the two electrical elements. Further, there has been shown and illustrated a doubling up of the cable connections illustrating the versatility of the principle of the present invention. Each of the embodiments disclosed is intended for manufacture in volume and at low cost, and yet to provide a connection which can be made in the field or at the factory which is inexpensive, resists corrosion, and is trouble-free and secure in operation.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in full here, there is no intention to thereby limit the invention to the details of such embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternatives, embodiments, usages and equivalents of an electrical cable connector as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, specification and the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An electrical cable connector for receiving a cable end and securing the same to a second electrical element comprising, in combination,

a body having a clamp portion,

said body being formed of a dielectric plastic materiopposed jaws defining a clamping slot therebetween extending from the body,

jaw engaging means for clamping the same to secure the body to a second electrical element,

a cable receiving barrel on the body in overlapping tangential relationship with said clamp portion,

a conductive sleeve within said barrel means for permitting electrical communication between said sleeve and said clamp portion, thereby to provide a thin wall section between the cable end and the second electrical element,

whereby activating the jaw engaging means causes the associated second electrical element to tangentially jammingly engage a cable end inserted in the cable receiving barrel through said conductive sleeve.

2. An electrical cable connector for receiving a cable end and securing the same to a second electrical element comprising, in combination,

a body having a clamp portion,

said body being formed of a dielectric plastic materiopposed jaws defining a clamping slot therebetween extending from the body,

jaw engaging means for clamping the same to secure the body to the second electrical element,

a cable receiving barrel on the body in overlapping tangential relationship with the clamping portion,

said cable receiving barrel defining a cut-out in the side wall of the clamping portion,

a conductive sleeve disposed within said barrel thereby to provide a thin wall section between the cable and the second electrical element,

whereby activating the jaw engaging means causes the associated second electrical element to tangentially jammingly engage a cable and insert it in the cable receiving barrel. 

1. An electrical cable connector for receiving a cable end and securing the same to a second electrical element comprising, in combination, a body having a clamp portion, said body being formed of a dielectric plastic material, opposed jaws defining a clamping slot therebetween extending from the body, jaw engaging means for clampinG the same to secure the body to a second electrical element, a cable receiving barrel on the body in overlapping tangential relationship with said clamp portion, a conductive sleeve within said barrel means for permitting electrical communication between said sleeve and said clamp portion, thereby to provide a thin wall section between the cable end and the second electrical element, whereby activating the jaw engaging means causes the associated second electrical element to tangentially jammingly engage a cable end inserted in the cable receiving barrel through said conductive sleeve.
 2. An electrical cable connector for receiving a cable end and securing the same to a second electrical element comprising, in combination, a body having a clamp portion, said body being formed of a dielectric plastic material, opposed jaws defining a clamping slot therebetween extending from the body, jaw engaging means for clamping the same to secure the body to the second electrical element, a cable receiving barrel on the body in overlapping tangential relationship with the clamping portion, said cable receiving barrel defining a cut-out in the side wall of the clamping portion, a conductive sleeve disposed within said barrel thereby to provide a thin wall section between the cable and the second electrical element, whereby activating the jaw engaging means causes the associated second electrical element to tangentially jammingly engage a cable and insert it in the cable receiving barrel. 